My quest for the bowie

Sam Salvati

Sam Salvati

Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,060
I have wanted to make a bowie for myself for the longest time. I would give it a try every once in awhile, end up with something that wasn't quite a bowie, and put the project away. Well today I finally decided to give it another go and I think I got it this time. Comments and critique welcome. Damn JP and his big mongo Hell's Belle thread :D.

l_b77ebef7995244a3ab08e30754b38d06.jpg


l_026b84d0d34e4ca883384fc1951340bc.jpg
 
Last edited:
Sam, It's kind a neat to see you making the pieces your putting out. I'd say that a lot of the guys on here would agree that your really starting to get comfortable with it all. I think the piece looks great. Now finish it before the weekend so we can cut rope with it this Saturday night at Ashokan.:)
 
Thanks Aldo! I have had quite a few epiphanies this year and last, as usual my outlook and blades jump ahead majorly everytime I get to hang out with majorly talented dudes :D. It will be finished, and I will be honored to have you cut with it! Also, you will be happy to know it's your 1084 :D

I have some wrought iron and sugar maple lined up for this one!
 
Last edited:
That blade says "bowie" all right - do show us the completed knife when it's done.

Roger
 
Cool.
Nice blade profile.
Interesting maker's mark as well.
Be glad to see it when finished.
 
Thanks everyone! For sure I will show the finished knife Roger!

Eli, with the hammer marks still left on it would seem logical to go with an antiqued look, but what I am going for will be sort of a brand new antique look hehe, hard to explain but you will see what I mean.

Thanks Kevin, my maker's mark is for my initials, and also for my blacksmith shop name, which is River Valley Forge (I live here in the Delaware River Valley), so it is two Ss, and looks like a bendy section in the rive which is quite bendy around where I live. I made the stamp myself from a section of coil spring.
 
Got the guard, handle, ferrule/spacer, and even a little tiny habaki type brass spacer done today! The wrought iron was tricky, tried forging a piece but it just came apart (very nasty gnarly wagon wheel wrought iron, the good stuff :D) so I had to grind one out, finished it with planishing while cold which gives a very antique yet shiny look, and the wrought has all these natural slag bits and pits and streaks. The sugar maple piece I cut is STUNNING! I do need to work out a way to bring out the iridescence. It has alot of quilting/chatoyance (that 3D shimmer), and the grain is lined up EXCELLENT. I still have to filework the ferrule/spacer, and then drill the hole for the tang and glue it all up. Camera is not being nice tonight, so bear with me.

Here is a shot of the little "crown", made from brass

l_40a7ab3c47154f3799fc3b03d7276376.jpg


And some shots of the blade with the guard on and with the handle

l_4eaf73e1eaff4f6b9470c7f3f3f0d6a4.jpg


l_a1f5ec0686714734b221a0bf5c9f338e.jpg
 
Sam, I've got some 1/4" Wrought Iron Plate I'm bringing up. Seems that the water tanks that are being removed in Ridgewood, NJ were riveted together from big sheets of it. I figured we can mess around with it Sat night.:)
 
Cool Aldo, maybe an iron age sword is in order :D As long as we get to use a coal forge, wrought needs to be worked HOT.
 
Finished (mostly)! Got all the finish work done today, just have to glue it up and that is it! Though the fit is tight enough it doesn't need glue, but just for safety's sake. It feels great, light but with heft, well balanced too and it cuts real well. Put a single filework groove all around the ferrule/spacer, simple but clean. I left the wrought unetched, but it still shows the rough bits and discolorations that make wrought so special, the ferrule/spacer was also left rough, but everything is scotch brite polished so it is rough but clean. It is, I can honestly say, my best work to date. Enjoy, thanks for following, comments and critique always welcome

l_e1b9a6da6d084b638bb3f2420c1b21c2.jpg


l_60e3aca846254202a0af8c9639924a56.jpg


l_67a6076e47464a3e9cdb148efd231786.jpg


l_0c53ad0b3859427e9296770f9d82e405.jpg
 
way to go Sam, keep pushing it further and higher:thumbup:
 
Thanks guys, everyone get's better and better which is a good sign, I learned ALOT from this one, and the next will be even better. Everyone over here on this part of the forum posting awesome blades by the pros is big inspiration!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top